I would highly recommend Look To Windward. However, up until now, it wasn't my absolute favorite book by Banks. That honor probably goes to Inversions. It took some time for the story to really get going. There were also a few too many jumps in time and perspective. I felt that these detracted a bit from the momentum of the narrative. But, once the reader finally figures out what's at stake, it becomes a tense, unpredictable, and thoughtful book. In fact, it's almost philosophical. It is set in a complex and interesting milieu, namely the Culture universe. Oh, and let's not forget the great epilogue! It really ties things up nicely and leaves the reader with a lot to think about.

This work delves into

heavy, heavy themes, yet it does so with a light and benevolent touch. The topics presented are truly profound, encompassing suicide and suicide bombings, terrorism, genocide, imperialism/cultural colonialism, the nature of war, and even the afterlife.

Adding to the allure are the characters. There's a loveable cast of pretentious robot drones, adorable and often furry alien creatures, and one very melancholy Artificial Intelligence.

VAGUE SPOILERS: The last four chapters are simply jaw-dropping in their scope. It starts with an elegiac double suicide that had me tearing up. Then it moves on to a mind-boggling check-in with minor characters set millions of years in the future. After that, there's a vicious and literally gut-wrenching display of retribution. Finally, it ends with a surprisingly wry ending, complete with a snappily ironic gotcha moment of role reversal. It's truly awesome.

This book is good stuff on its own, but it's even more amazing when considered as just one piece of the author's Culture novels. It's my favorite one so far.

"Look to Windward" is a novel that takes place within the Culture universe created by Ian M. Banks. It is not only a story but also a profound exploration of the Culture itself.

The novel, aside from its main plot, delves into the life within a society that knows no scarcity. The inhabitants are long-lived and, through the creation of backups, are practically immortal - or could be. Banks has his characters visit a plethora of different places and landscapes, which range from the fantastical to the occasionally absurd.

When it comes to the races, genders, and other distinguishing characteristics of the characters, Ian M. Banks delights with his well-known panoply: humans, cat-like beings, gas bubble dwellers, giants, androids, digitized entities, sublimated beings, extraterrestrial ambassadors, drones, avatars, swarm intelligences, and spaceship AIs with names like "Resistance is Character-Forming".

The main storyline is thrilling, the characters are interesting, believable, mysterious, and at times witty, and the setting is fantastical! What was most convincing to me was, in the end, the description of the Culture. The customs, life, and death of its inhabitants, diplomacy and war, mistakes made and their consequences.

For me, it is one of the best, if not the best, Culture novel - a solid 5/5!

I wasn't entirely certain what my perception of this book would be. Having previously read and adored several M. Banks books, such as Consider Phlebas, I harbored concerns that Look to Windward might turn out to be a somewhat less satisfying and dour introspection. Oh, how wrong could one person be?

Look to Windward is yet another triumph for Banks. The story delves into some seriously weighty subjects. Terrorism, love and loss, suicide, the aftermath of war, post-colonialism, and empire are all addressed with remarkable skill. At the same time, the reader is challenged to envision some truly wonderful Sci-Fi dioramas, like the dirigible behemothaurs and the mighty Masaq orbital. If anyone ever wanted to present an example of how Science Fiction can be relevant and crucial to the questions that confront the "human condition" throughout our lives, then this is the book.

The humor is still present and better than ever, and somehow Banks manages to blend it with some profound discourse. Some of Hubs' conversations with Quilan and Ziller are beautifully poignant and thought-provoking. Hubs' final scene with Quilan, in particular, showcases Banks' talent in a superb style and is deeply emotive.

This will be a book to reread along with Consider Phlebas in the future, and I have no doubt that, like Phlebas, the second reading will only reveal more perspective and depth of understanding of the text.

I loved it.